Best Last Lines

“The worth of a book is to be measured by what you can carry away from it.” – James Bryce

I was recently a guest at Karen Cioffi – Writing for Children where I blogged about first lines in books for children. Previously I’d written a post about Best First Lines in Novels. Talking about first lines made me wonder if there were any lists for the best last lines in novels. I’m happy to say I found several.

The following are some of my favorites. I selected them because they were fun, famous or sounded like a good first line making me want to read the book.

"It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known." A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

He loved Big Brother. – 1984 by George Orwell

I don’t hate it he thought, panting in the cold air, the iron New England dark; I don’t. I don’t! I don’t hate it! I don’t hate it! - Absalom, Absalom! By William Faulkner

It was the nightmare of real things, the fallen wonder of the world. The Names by Don DeLille

Go, my book, and help destroy the world as it is. Continental Drift by Russell Banks

YOU HAVE FALLEN INTO ART – RETURN TO LIFE – Willie Masters’ Lonesome Wife by William H. Gass

The knife came down, missing him by inches, and he took off. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

P.S. Sorry I forgot to give you the mayonnaise. Trout Fishing in America by Richard Brautigan

“Terminal.” The End of the Road by John Barth

He waited for someone to tell him who to be next. The Open Curtain by Brian Evenson

This is the difference between this and that. A Novel of Thank You by Gertrude Stein

So I mean listen I got this neat idea hey, you listening? Hey? You listening…? J R by William Gaddis

I lingered round them, under that benign sky; watched the moths fluttering among the heath, and hare-bells; listened to the soft wind breathing through the grass; and wondered how anyone could ever imagine unquiet slumbers, for the sleepers in that quiet earth. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

I have to toss in one from a children’s book.

But wherever they go, and whatever happens to them on the way, in that enchanted place on the top of the Forest, a little boy and his Bear will always be playing. The House at Pooh Corner, A.A. Milne

If you’d like to read more last lines, Best Last Line from Famous Books at docstoc.com lists lines from 100 books and lastlines at saidwhat.com are two of the best sources I found.

Does your novel have a great last line? If so, I’d love to hear it. Do you have a favorite last line from a novel you’ve read? Would a good last line make you want to read a novel you haven't read before?

I hope you can stop by next Monday (5/10) when guest blogger L. Diane Wolfe will be talking about types of burnout (writer burnout, promoting burnout), how to avoid and how to deal with it. Diane is an accomplished speaker and author. Her books are Overcoming Obstacles with Spunk! and The Circle of Friends series. The fifth book in the series, Heather was recently released, so I have a feeling this is a topic Diane has been dealing with lately. To find out more about Diane, visit Spunk on a Stick blog and website and come back next week.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Tags: James Bryce, first lines, last lines , Faulkner, Wuthering Heights, Orwell, Dickens, Gaddis, L. Diane Wolfe,

Erratic Blogging

“Life is what happens to us while we are making other plans.” – Thomas La Mance


You may have noticed my blogging has been a bit erratic lately. The reason is that I am in Little Rock once again tending to aging parents with numerous health problems.

My friend, Sandy Lender, (author of Choices Meant for Gods and the soon to be released Choices Meant for Kings) encouraged me to write while I’m here by reminding me that Charlotte Bronte wrote Jane Eyre while watching over her father after his eye surgery. She didn’t even have a computer.

I can’t see myself concentrating long enough to write a novel like Bronte did, but I should at least be able to manage a blog or two.

The latest news from ArcheBooks is that Tina Murray’s novel, A Chance to Say Yes is due to be released any day now. I’m excited not only because is it the book before mine, but also it’s a good read and a blurb I wrote is going to be on the back cover.

ArcheBooks is currently working on the dustcover for The Ride. I hope that means the book will be released soon.

My 88 year old mother has been excited about my book since I completed the first draft several years ago. She’s never understood why ArcheBooks didn’t drop everything to publish my book immediately. Oh, if only they’d listened to Mom!

Currently my mother is under hospice care. She seems content, comfortable, and at peace with the situation. I on the other hand, am not. I am further saddened knowing she may not be around for my book’s debut.

However, like I’m Not Dead Yet Fred from Spamalot, Mom has been written off by her doctors several times before and has bounced back much to their amazement and ours. I’m hoping for another of these miracles and that I’ll be able to hand deliver the very first copy of The Ride to her.

Thanks for stopping by. See you next week.

Jane Kennedy Sutton
Author of The Ride (to be released by ArcheBooks Publishing)
janekennedysutton@gmail.com
http://janekennedysutton.googlepages.com/
http://www.authorsden.com/janesutton



Tags: The Ride, Archebooks, Sandy Lender, Choices Meant for Gods, Choices Meant for Kings, Tina Murray, A Chance to Say Yes, Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre, Spamalot

Brontë and Shakespeare

My edits are complete and the The Ride is once again back at ArcheBooks waiting on the next step. If this foray into the publishing world has taught me anything, it’s that patience is a very valuable asset.

So as I sit patiently waiting for my book’s release, I sometimes enjoy flipping through Chase’s Calendar of Events.

Did you know that last Monday (April 21) was Charlotte Brontë’s birth anniversary? Don’t feel bad, I didn’t either until I came across the entry. It’s been a long time since I read Jane Eyre, and I honestly can’t remember if I liked it or not. But I know it has to be an important book simply because the name “Eyre” appears in almost every crossword puzzle I’ve ever worked. What would puzzle constructors do if she’d had named the title character Jones or Smith?

I also read that Charlotte and her sisters, Emily and Anne, published a collection of poetry together under assumed names. According to Wikipedia, only two copies sold. Obviously, marketing wasn’t her cup of tea either.

In the preface to Jane Eyre, Brontë wrote, “Conventionality is not morality. Self-righteousness is not religion. To attack the first is not to assail the last.” I believe that passage, written in the 1800s, is equally significant today. And that qualifies her, in my humble opinion, as a talented writer.

Speaking of talented writers of timeless works, last Wednesday (April 23) was the birth and the death anniversary of William Shakespeare. What are the odds of dying on your birthday? I only hope he had a chance to enjoy his cake and ice cream first.

Readers, I also hope you’ll leave a comment on whether or not you’d recommend that I reread Jane Eyre. Or post a comment about your favorite or least favorite works of Shakespeare.

Thanks for stopping by. See you next week.

Jane Kennedy Sutton
Author of The Ride (to be released by ArcheBooks Publishing)
janekennedysutton@gmail.com
http://janekennedysutton.googlepages.com/
http://www.authorsden.com/janesutton


Tags: The Ride, Archebooks, Chase’s Calendar of Events, Bronte, Jane Eyre, Shakespeare